Great golf from a chip shot to a drive

Joann Dost

Joann Dost

Dan Vukelich, Special to Tribune Newspapers

Chicago lies within striking distance of a couple dozen nationally ranked golf destinations. All that's stopping us from playing them is the amount of asphalt we're willing to cover and the scratch we're willing to spend chasing a dimpled sphere of white urethane.

What follows are some, though certainly not all, of the worthy courses and resorts within a day's drive of the Chicago area. Rankings refer to Golf magazine's national "Top 100 Courses You Can Play" list or Golf Digest's "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses" lists, unless otherwise indicated.

Metro area

Harborside International Golf Center, Chicago: After a slow start in the mid-1990s, the Chicago International Port District's two 18-hole courses along Lake Calumet are showing new signs of vitality, thanks to a new management team. Seven of designer Dick Nugent's 36 holes front the water. Who knew an old landfill could be so green? (No. 10 for the Starboard course and No. 15 for the Port course in GolfWeek's "Best in Illinois" for 2012, though only Starboard makes the 2013 list, at No. 7) $90 weekends. 312-782-7837, harborsidegolf.com

The Glen Club, Glenview: Tom Fazio builds exceptionally beautiful golf courses, and his 2001 work at the old Glenview Naval Air Station is no exception. Avoid peak rates and book a time before 10:50 a.m. Monday through Thursday. (No. 72, Golf magazine) $125 weekdays. 847-724-7272, theglenclub.com

Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, No. 4, Lemont: Owner Frank Jemsek isn't one to let grass grow under his feet, so in 2009 he asked Rees Jones to update his signature course, Dubsdread, to pay back the PGA Tour professionals who were beating the daylights out of it. The renovation added length and brought bunkers and hazards back into play. (No. 21, Golf magazine) $155 year-round. 866-264-4455, coghillgolf.com

Warren Golf Course, South Bend, Ind. (94 miles): Bill Coore's and Ben Crenshaw's design for Notre Dame is a steal. (No. 8, Golf magazine's "Best in Indiana") $65 per player on weekends when the Irish aren't playing at home. 574-631-4653, warrengolfcourse.com

Harbor Shores, Benton Harbor, Mich. (100 miles): Jack Nicklaus' 2010 design hosted the Senior PGA Championship in 2012 and will do so again in 2014. (No. 8, Golf magazine's "Best in Michigan") $152 per player on weekends. 269-927- 4653, harborshoreslife.com

Erin Hills Golf Club, Hartford, Wis., northwest of Milwaukee (125 miles): Erin Hills is a sprawling walk in the park — in fact, walking is mandatory. Kettle moraines, wetlands and low sand hills dotted with forest make Erin Hills hard to characterize, but designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw clearly delivered on their 2004 promise to build a course to host a U.S. Open, which arrives in 2017. Stay-and-play packages offering two rounds for the price of one resume Sept. 30. (No. 10, Golf Digest) Single-round rate, $200 per player. 866-772-4769, erinhills.com

More than two hours

The Bull at Pinehurst Farms, Sheboygan Falls, Wis. (145 miles): Keep it on the short grass on Jack Nicklaus' only signature course in Wisconsin or else bring plenty of balls. (No. 77, Golf Digest) $135 per player. 920-467-1500, golfthebull.com

Herb Kohler's quartet of Pete Dye courses, Kohler, Wis. (148 miles): All four Kohler courses rank in the Top 100. Whistling Straits (No. 2, Golf Digest) with its mosaic of hundreds of bunkers, was built with sand trucked in day and night over two years. Warning No. 1: Hotel guests get tee-time priority on the Straits Course, so day-trippers are advised to book well in advance. Warning No 2: It ain't cheap. The Straits Course runs $360 plus $60 for a mandatory caddie. The Irish Course (No. 39, Golf Digest) has the same testy sandy/fescue character but not the lake views, for $185 (caddie recommended, not required). Blackwolf Run River Course, $250. Blackwolf Run Meadow Valleys Course, $185. 855-444-2838, americanclubresort.com

The General at Eagle Ridge, Galena, Ill. (164 miles): Roger Packard's and Andy North's The General, named after Galena favorite son Ulysses Grant, is one of four resort courses fronting Galena Lake, with 250 feet of elevation change that offers views of three states. (No. 3, Golf magazine's "Best in Illinois"). A night's lodging and two rounds, including one on The General, works out to $511.84 for two. Single round rate: $100 per player. 800-892-2269, eagleridge.com

A really long drive

French Lick Resort, French Lick, Ind., midway between Indianapolis and Evansville (277 miles): Four courses, two historic hotels and a casino make for a solid luxury destination. Tee it up at Pete Dye's modern design or Donald Ross' restored 1917 classic. (No. 1 and 2, Golf magazine's "Best in Indiana"), though the two historic hotels, the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Springs Hotel, are stars in their own right. Three-round, two-night packages start at $699. 888-936-9360, frenchlick.com